đź©ş Chapter 5: Distance... or Closeness?
It was nighttime.
There was an unusual silence in the hospital corridor.
Everything seemed normal... but a storm was raging inside Anaya.
She was still standing outside the ICU.
Kabir had left...
But his words... his eyes... his touch...
Everything was still lingering around Anaya.
"This is all wrong..." she said softly to herself.
"I have to stay away from all this..."
But her heart... wasn't ready to listen.
The next morning...
Anaya returned to her duty.
She had mentally prepared herself—
👉 No emotions
👉 No attachment
👉 Strictly professional behavior
"He was just a patient..." she reasoned with herself.
But as soon as she entered the ICU...
Her heart stopped for a second.
Kabir wasn't there.
The bed was empty.
"Where did the patient go?" Anaya asked immediately.
Another nurse said in a casual tone—
"Got discharged early in the morning."
"Discharged? So soon?" Anaya was in shock.
"Yes... his people came. They arranged a private transfer."
Anaya fell silent.
She didn't know why... but she got a strange feeling.
As if something was left incomplete.
Anaya stayed busy with work all day.
But every 5 minutes her mind would wander in the same direction—
Kabir.
"He didn't tell me even once..."
"No bye... no proper thanks..."
Anaya was also getting a little angry.
"It's for the best... it's better to stay away," she told herself.
Around 7 in the evening...
Anaya left the hospital for home.
A light, cool breeze was blowing on the road.
She was lost in her thoughts...
Just then—
A black car pulled up and stopped near her.
Anaya got scared for a second.
The car door slowly opened...
And from it...
Kabir stepped out and stood in front of her.
Anaya was left in shock.
"You...?" she said softly.
Kabir smiled faintly.
"Missed me?"
Anaya instantly controlled her expression.
"Is this a joke? What are you doing here?"
Kabir stepped a little closer to her.
"I came to say thank you," he said calmly.
"You could have said that at the hospital," Anaya replied directly.
Kabir said with a faint smile—
"There wasn't enough privacy there..."
Anaya got confused.
"Meaning?"
Looking into her eyes, Kabir said—
"I wanted to meet you properly..."
Anaya's heart raced.
"Look, Mr. Kabir..." she said in a slightly strict tone,
"Whatever happened was just my duty. Nothing more than that."
Kabir took one more step closer and said—
"Do you think I am that simple?"
Anaya fell silent for a second.
"I never forget anyone's favor," Kabir said softly.
"Favor?" Anaya got a little irritated.
"I wasn't doing you any favor!"
Kabir said softly—
"Yet... you chose my side."
Anaya had no answer.
She looked away.
"Coffee?" Kabir asked suddenly.
Anaya refused immediately—
"No."
Kabir smiled.
"Won't even give me one chance?"
"Absolutely not," Anaya said in a clear tone.
"I am not a part of your world... and I don't want to be either."
Kabir stayed silent for a few seconds.
Then he said softly—
"The problem is, Anaya..."
"You have already become a part of my world."
Anaya's heart pounded.
"Do you think you can ignore me...?" Kabir said.
"But the further you go away... the closer I will come to you."
Anaya said angrily—
"This is not some movie!"
Kabir smirked slightly—
"Exactly... this is real life... and the rules are different here."
There was silence between the two for a few seconds.
The breeze was blowing a bit faster now.
Anaya controlled herself.
"I want to go home," she said directly.
She started to leave...
Just then, Kabir grabbed her hand.
Anaya froze.
His touch again...
That same warmth... that same intensity...
"Let go..." Anaya said softly.
Looking at her, Kabir said—
"Tell me one thing..."
"Are you scared of me... or of yourself?"
Anaya had no answer.
She jerked her hand away.
"Stay away from me, Kabir," she said firmly.
And she walked away from there.
Kabir stood there watching her leave.
There was a strange shine in his eyes.
"The game is getting interesting..." he murmured.
Anaya was walking on the road.
Her heart was still beating fast.
"This is all going out of control..." she thought.
But deep down inside somewhere...
She also knew—
Staying away from Kabir Malhotra wasn't going to be that easy.
Somewhere far away...
A man was talking on the phone.
"Yes... he has reached the girl..."
"Now let's start the next step..."
The story was about to get even more dangerous now...
And Anaya...
Was no longer just a nurse...
She had become...
A target.
To be continued...